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finan s T. MAYHEW, OF POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 23,981, dated May 10, 1859.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, T. MAYHEW, of

vPoughkeepsie, in the county of Dutchess and State of New York, haveinventedanew and useful Improvement in Opera-ting Railroad-Switches; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is alongitudinal vertical section of my invention taken in the line a2, Fig.2. Fig. 2, an inverted plan of ditto.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twogures.

The object of this invention is to prevent accidents attending thecarelessness of switchmen in failing to properly adjust the switch aftermoving the same in line with a track to accommodate a passing train.

The invention consists in the employment or use of an adjustable ormovable platform arranged in connection with certain gearing, a switchbar and springs substantially as hereinafter fully shown and described,whereby the attendance of the switchman is rendered imperative at everyadjustment of the switch and while the train is passing over it and thereturn movement of the switch to its usual position after beingtemporarily moved fully insured.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents a box or case in the lower part of which a switch bar B,is placed and allowed to slide freely back and forth. This switch barhas a rack a formed at one side of it as shown clearly in Fig. 2, andthe switch bar has a cross bar attached, to each end of which a spiralspring c, is connected, said springs being also connected to the box orcase A, and having a tendency to keep the switch barxwithin the box orcase, or as far within its front part as it is designed to pass, asshown in red in both drawings. The switch bar B, is attached to arail-road switch, (shown in blue igures,) in the usualway, and theswitch is of ordinary construction. The box or case is secured to anyproper framing adjoining the switch. The

switch bar is so arranged with the springs c, c, and the switch, thatthe springs will have a tendency to keep the switch in line with thedirect or main track of the road.

Into the rack a, of the switch bar B, a

pinion d, gears, and this pinion is on the lower end of a shaft C, whichpasses vertically into the box or case A. The piniond is attache-d to acollar c, which is fitted on and secured to the shaft C, and the upperend of this collar has a ratchet f, attached to it, into which ratchet apawl g, catches, and is kept engaged therewith by a spring 7L, said pawlbeing attached to the under side of a toothed wheel 71,', which isfitted loosely on the shaft C. The wheel b, is one of a train of wheelswhich are represented by h', 71,, L, 7W, the arbor h", of the latterwheel having an arm z', passing through it and projecting out from it atequal distances from opposite sides of the arbor. Through the top of thebox or case A, a shaft D, passes vertically. This shaft has a circularhorizontal platform E, on its upper end, and the lower end of this shaftis stepped in a spring plate F, the lower end of the shaft D, projectinga little below the spring plate and within the path of therotation ofthe arm 2'., when the platform E, is depressed.

The operation is as follows: When it is necessary to throw the switch inline with a branch track the switchman stands on the platform E, andthereby depresses it, and throws the lower end of the shaft D, withinthe plane of the rotation of arm z', when the platform E, is relieved ofthe weight of the switchman. When therefore the platform E is .depressedby the weight of the switchman, the shaft C, is turned by him from leftto right and the pinion' al, throws out the switch bar B, and moves theswitch in line with the branch track. If the platform E, were notdepressed, the train of wheels L, it, b", IW, would be set in motion onthe movement of the shaft C, and there would be no stop or retainingdevice to retain the bar B, as it moved out, nothing to resist theaction of the springs c, when the shaft C, is relieved of the hold ofthe switchman, but when the platform E, is depressed the arm z', inconnection with the pawl g, serve as stops. Thus it will be seen thatthe presence of the switchman is required in order to operate theswitcher move it and keep it retained in line with the branch track, theswitch being moved back to its normal or original position by the actionof the springs c. The presence of the switchman who, by means of theinvention is imperatively demanded when the switch is to I claim as newand desire t0 Secure by Letters Patent, is,

The employment or use of the adjustable platform E, in connection Withthe switch bar B, and gearing, d, L, h, L", hw', springsv c, c, andstops, z' g substantially as shown and described, to operate as and forthe purpose set forth;

T. MAYHEW.

Witnesses ROBERT Gr. LEE, Cms. P. LUCKEY.

